If you have a Verizon Smart or dumb phone with an upgrade available it's time to act. They introduced the new Shared Plans. If you have a smart phone and never turn it on the new plans will save you $10/month. At our current data consumption rate our bill would go up $50/month. If you have an upgrade available, you have until next Wednesday to get the subsidized price. Starting next Thursday, the subsidized price will move your entire plan into the Shared Data plan. It's cheaper for me to pay full price for a phone to retain the Unlimited data and avoid the Shared Data plan.

My wife and I have awesome phones. They're the Galaxy Nexus 4G. I had no intention of using the upgrade on our account. Now it's use it or lose it. I ordered her the new Samsung Galaxy III. It's available for preorder now, delivery in early July. Verizon also has the 4G HTC Rezound for $80. It's a solid phone. Avoid the Razr, go for the Razr Maxx if Moto is your thing. Only the Nexus and S3 have NFC. Near Field Communication will likely change the way phones interact in social places and wireless payment. Other phones coming later will have NFC. They are not currently available. Samsung Techtiles

The price per month of Dumb phones has also gone up. 4G is really fast. In some areas of Seattle I see 35-40meg down, 18meg up speed. The only problem with the Nexus is battery power. However, if I turn off the 4g, it will easily go all day. Verizon has not done a good job of explaining the impending rate hike.